I’ve popped back in to Facebook and Instagram to give you guys the seasonal updates so I figured I should do it here as well. All my packaging points back to this site (which is horribly out of date) so here I am, updating it ;)

Here is what I’ve been working on so far:

Four thousand cookies are done and packaged! I love the new look, but going edgeless in those cubes bred another product: Cookies on the Edge. These cookies look pretty crazy which suits their name, but they still taste amazing and there’s lots available. I’ll have cubes and crazy edge cookies at the Yellow Honey House Christmas Market this year, come by and say hello :)

]]>http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/just-checking-in/feed/0Dream Date Giveaway!http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/dream-date-giveaway/
http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/dream-date-giveaway/#commentsWed, 18 Dec 2013 21:31:02 +0000http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/?p=1144The fabulous folks over at Natural Delights Medjool Dates contacted me and asked if I would like a bunch of V.I.P. vouchers to give away to my readers. I was like, “heck yes I would!” and they arrived in the mail shortly after, no strings attached. So just to get this out of the way: The Natural Delights people rock, they gave me a bunch of freebies to share and told me to do and say whatever I felt like, which was very trusting/nieve/awesome of them!

My first idea was to secretly plant the dates at a dog park and then go around “picking up dog poo” and eating it (cause we might as well get this outta the way too: dates look kinda poop-like) all while filming peoples reactions. As HILARIOUS as that looked in my brain, my party-pooper wise husband figured that the Natural Delights people probably didn’t have that on their radar when they said I could do whatever I want. So instead, I went with my second idea: bake something delicious (more what they had in mind, Im sure).

Now, its a known fact that dates are not only totally crave-able, they are also a major superfood. They are packed with all kinds of crazy nutrition: antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and mineral galore. Knowing this, I feel a LOT less guilty about what I did to them…

Thats a piece of heaven folks, otherwise known as Sticky Toffee Pudding. Rich, chewy dates blend right in to become a decadent dessert, smothered in hot caramel and topped with whipped cream. Take THAT, vitamins and minerals! Jk it is still doing ok nutritionally (not that nutrition has anything to do with why I eat it), but it helps with the binge-eating remorse for sure! And hearing my six-year old ask for more “ticky toffee poo-DANG” is reason enough to make it all the time, even if it wasn’t delicious. Poo-dang is the best word ever.

How I Do It: Finely chop the dates, discarding the pits as you go. Place them in a bowl and pour the boiling water mixed with baking soda on top (its amazing how ugly that bowl of dates will look, just warning you). Let that just hang out and in a separate bowl, beat your butter and sugar together. Add your eggs, mix for another minute and then add the baking powder and salt. Add your flour and the ugly contents of the dates/water bowl and stir juuuust until everything is incorporated. Pour it into a greased 8×8 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 mins. A toothpick should come out mostly clean, do not over bake this!

Once its out of the oven, stab at it with a fork to make it all full of small holes and then pour about a half of a cup of warm caramel sauce over top (oh yeah, you should make some caramel sauce while the poo-dang is baking, the recipe is HERE. Or you could use store-bought sauce…if you want to ruin your dessert). Save the rest of the caramel sauce to pour over individual pieces and top them with whipped cream, oooohohohohoo its just so GOOD!

This recipe is best the day after you bake it and must must MUST be served warm. Hot even! But cold is an abomination.

So now that I have altered your very existence by giving you the power to make this dessert (you’re welcome by-the-way), its time for the GIVEAWAY! I am gonna make this ridiculously simple:

Unfortunately, the coupons are only good in Canada :( But before you write me off as some jerk who made you read a whole post just to find out you can’t even enter the contest, take a peek at this:

ISN’T THAT THE BEST CHARM BRACELET EVER!?!?! My pal Dot over at Busted Button made it just for this giveaway!!! Its one-of-a-kind folks and I can mail this sucker anywhere in the world! Dot saved the day, non-Canadians!! (Canadian-Canadians can obviously enter to win this too). Here is how you can enter to win:

Now for those of you who don’t win one of these fabulous prizes, do not despair! You can do what I do when Im sad and eat high calorie foods! Sticky Toffee Pudding has super powers and can transport you to other worlds. Places where people sit up straight and use words like “verily”…

How I Think I Look When I Eat Sticky Toffee Pudding:

How I Actually Look When I Eat Sticky Toffee Pudding:

Any dessert with the power to do THAT is worth making asap, whether you win or not ;)

So just to recap:

-Natural Delights Medjool Dates are awesome and you should check out their website HERE for more recipe ideas and info!

-Sticky Toffee Pudding makes me feel like Im in an episode of Downton Abbey even when I am actually looking like a disgusting mom-troll.

–Comment “poo-dang!” on THIS PHOTO and SHARE the photo to be entered to win one of four coupons (up to $15.99 value) from Natural Delights Medjool Dates (for Canadians only).

–Comment “Dot is my dream date!” on THIS PHOTO and SHARE the photo to be entered to win the best charm bracelet EVER from Busted Button (open to everyone, anywhere). And be sure to check out the Busted Button Facebook page HERE. Dot is an incredible blend of talent and inappropriate-ness that is sure to entertain ;)

–EXTRA ENTRY (or first entry if you are a anti-social media and don’t have a Facebook account): Comment on this blog post answering the following question: What is your go-to comfy/ugly at home outfit? Or are you one of those weird people who stays nicely dressed until bedtime?

PS – All of these beautiful photos where done by Frances Eden Creative, whom I love just as much as Sticky Toffee Pudding, maybe even a little more ;)

]]>http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/dream-date-giveaway/feed/23Poorly Motivated Food Giftshttp://www.buttercreamcouture.com/poorly-motivated-food-gifts-part-1/
http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/poorly-motivated-food-gifts-part-1/#commentsThu, 05 Dec 2013 00:55:55 +0000http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/?p=1097So Im doing a lot of food gifts this year as I am feeling very broke uuuh, I mean, anti-consumer! I thought that maybe there is a chance some of YOU might also be feeling cheappoor un-materialistic too. And as I am most generous, I am gonna spam you all with my cheapy food gift ideas :)

And here is what I did:

Photo by Frances Eden Creative

[pinit]

Peppermint Marshmallows! Get the marshmallow recipe HERE. Replace the vanilla extract with peppermint extract and top with crushed candy cane before you powder the top. And so long as you don’t THIS, you can save yourself time by not having to make a second trip to the store.

These cut into a million pieces so thats like, the cheapest/ tastiest/ bestest most impressive gift ever! I package mine in clear little bags tied with Christmassy ribbons and give them with a homemade hot chocolate mix. This gift is low-cost, low-time AND low-calorie. HA! But really, it is quick and cheap ;) And most importantly, it comes with the added bonus points of you getting to be that jerk who shows-up everybody’s store bought gifts with something made with looooove (and they never need to know any different).

*Also recommended for teacher gifts as these tasty morsels come with a Top Mompetitor guarantee*

Vanilla Bean is getting a time out. No it has not been naughty, no it isnt fair, but I am the boss around these parts and what I say goes!!!!

Ok in truth, this series was SUPPOSED to be an eight part epic with loads of giveaways and vanilla violence, starting and ending in May. My intentions were for a fantastic bunch of recipes to live up to the Caramel Series from last fall, but unfortunately my intentions were no match for: my hubbys huge job change, my teenagers grad, my youngest sons weekly trips to the specialist, my getting pneumonia (though that did breed a rather popular post…savages…), random household tornadoes, mental tsunamis, emotional earthquakes and etc etc etc. I did NOT, however, have a nervous breakdown so for that I am giving myself a very special applause *slow clap* and maybe even treating myself to a giant frappuccino with half a bottle of caramel sauce on top (being thin is nowhere near as important as being sane, amirite?)

But anyways, it is now July, Im only four posts in and rather then cutting it short, I am just gonna press pause on this sucker. The Revolution will see its victory day, but that day is gonna have to wait until fall, when I am done with u-pick farms and camping and being a beach bum ;)

Here is the next recipe that was on the list. Its actually rather fitting for the current season and since I feel there is no better time to get interrupted then when your are on a high moment, we will leave off here ;)

How I Do It: Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and freeze your mixture in the popsicle freezing device of your choice! DONE! Ridiculously easy, ridiculously delicious. And if you made your syrup with a raw or unprocessed sugar, they are ridiculously healthy too! (well, at least in comparison to the ones you buy at the store). Play with the flavours of yogurt and juice but don’t forgo that delicious vanilla syrup, its the perfect kinda sweet for these creamsicles. Plus we cant forget the flecks, Ive got such a thing for those gorgeous beany flecks…

I am off to make some Apricot-Reisling Jam! I will be popping in at random to share recipes for my fav summer items so be sure to check out Buttercream Couture on FACEBOOK for pics and recipes and lots of status updates that really have nothing to do with food at all ;)

DISCLAIMER: I currently have pneumonia. Im just going to throw that out there for all you fabulous people so you don’t think I’ve completely lost it for good. I am heavily medicated and not getting a lot of oxygen to my brain at the moment, and yet, decided blogging right now was a good idea. I’ve just finished writing this post (which took me a record low of 10 mins), read it, inhaled a bit more steroids, read it again and decided to keep it as is. So, yeah. I offer no apologies (right now) and think Im maaaaarvelous! I also think pain killers are maaaaaarvelous! Everything is maaaaarvelous!!!!!

Dum da da dum dum dum DUUUUUM I now present to you: the perfect vanilla bean tea cookie. Yes, I said perfect cause you know what, it IS perfect! And its not afraid to tell you its perfect because the perfect tea cookie has perfectly developed self-esteem and knows it is perfection! Just how perfect IS this tea cookie you ask?:

-If this cookie was a man, he’d be Brendan Fraser in the 90’s my husband.

-If this cookie was a competitor on The Bachelor, she would totally get the guy based on personality and dazzling good looks and not have to get all slutty in the hot tub.

-When you eat this cookie you get smarter, wiser and better looking, cause its perfection is transferrable.

-Miss Universe should watch her back, cause this cookie is coming for her sash and crown.

– Two words: Uni. Corn. Cause thats what this cookie is in the world of vanilla bean tea cookies.

My husband has just come into the room, read what I have so far, and told me not to publish it. Hahaha what a nut! I feel AMAZBALLS! Whats the matter with that goof?!?

How I Do It: First off, do NOT substitute the butter in this recipe for ANYTHING else! Substituting the butter would be the equivalent to starting a diet the same day you start your period: it just wont work (and you will be left very frustrated by trying to make it work). So cream together the butter and sugar. Using a sharp knife, split your vanilla bean in half and use the edge of the knife to gouge out its beany bounty. Get those fragrant innards in with the butter/sugar and watch it get deliciously flecky. Add the almond flour (or it can be called almond meal, I buy mine in the bulk section cause its so much cheaper) and mix that in, then add the regular flour a little bit at a time until its all there.

You should have ended up with a sticky-ish dough thats ready to roll. Lay out a piece of parchment or wax paper and start shaping the dough into a tube. When it comes to these things, size is relative. I usually go for the circumference of a banana cause I like my cookies a little bigger, but if you are more of a roll-of-quarters kinda person then thats ok too. I feel…like there is a joke in here somewhere…but my brain just…hmmm… Cover your dough (I usually just roll it up in the parchment) and pop it in the fridge for about a half hour or just until its more handleable (you are gonna be slicing up this dough-log and soft dough does not cut like a champ, it has gotta be a hardened criminal).

Once the dough is chill-ay you want to brush it with an egg (that means crack the egg into a bowl and whip it up with a fork, then brush it onto the dough. I specify this cause I know at least TWO of you who will literally just rub an egg up and down the dough, then complain via comment later that the sugar didn’t stick). Now roll your roll in that beautiful sparkly vanilla sugar! Razzle dazzle it! Glitter it up like its going to the prom! Get it feeling fragrant and fancy and then catch it off guard by violently cutting it into 1/2 inch-ish slices >:) …so yeah, cut the sugared sparkle dough into half inch-ish slices and place them an inch apart on a lined cookie sheet. They bake at 275 degrees for abouuuut 20 mins.

Now eat them! EAT THEM ALL!!! Because they are perfect, just like this blog post, regardless of what my husband says! Flavour that don’t QUIT!

So I totally left the Revolutionary theme this week, eh? I don’t think I really described these cookies at all. I also am thinking I haven’t posted some of the pics but…I cant seem to remember what file they are in and…and then I keep forgetting what Im looking for and…Ive totally hacked up at least half a lung onto the keyboard and…oh! Here’s one!

This is my sick selfie. I am proudly posting a makeup-less, drug infused blogging picture of myself on the internet (I ran it through Instagram first and changed the filter to “willow” so as to spare you the graphic details of my dark circles and spittle #phlegm #lungbutter #mypneumoniabringsalltheboystotheyard). I must be very medicated indeed.

I just love you all so much. I need cold water and a bendy straw. Gotta text my husband (he’s downstairs but I have no voice to yell and no will to move). Peace out yo. Remember: Perfection! Flavour that dont quit! Sparkly dough and bendy straws! Viva la Revolucion!

**If you are new to this movement or have forgotten its purpose, take a peeksy at the INTRO to catch up to speed**

On first impression, Vanilla Bean Syrup is sweet, smooth and delightfully fragrant. But look a little closer and you will see a depth of aggression that makes this creation an integral part of our militia. Don’t be fooled by its golden appeal because this stealthy syrup packs a punch aimed right for Artificial Extracts gonads! And then, while Artificial Extract is doubled over in pain, the syrup slaps it upside the head and calls its mama fat.

Vanilla Bean Syrup believes that the high road is just too hard to find. #hardcore

Fresh Berries with Vanilla Bean Syrup, fo’drizzle!

Vanilla Bean Syrup Ratio

1 cup sugar : 1 cup water : 1 vanilla bean

How I Do It: Split your vanilla bean in half lengthwise, remove its innards and whisk them into the saucepan with the sugar/water. Add the gorged bean pod too. Set the heat to medium and whisk a bit until the sugar dissolves and the liquid begins to bubble the tiniest bit around the edges of the pan. Then turn the heat to low and let it sit and do its thing for about 7 mins. Remove the bean, pour the syrup into a storage container of your choice and you are donzies!

To Note:

– Rinse off your vanilla bean, let it dry and pop it into your extract or sugar jar! And I will just point out that thats reduce, reuse and recycle all in one ;) Mrs. Responsibility here.

– Use any kind of sugar you like! I use cane sugar and coconut sugar when I am feeling guilted motivated to eat less refined and processed things, its delicious AND nutritious!

-Pair a jar of this with a pound of coffee for a fun food gift or just with a print out of this post…with the web address highlighted…and a special note to subscribe…

-This stuff applies to almost everything. I mean EVERYTHING! I love it on berries (like in the photo above, for a quick yet oh-so-impressive dessert), in my hot beverages, on my oatmeal, on my grapefruit (that one is especially my fav), drizzled over my pancakes, drizzled over my husband, eaten with a spoon right outta the jar and even in many chicken/pork recipes (this stuff mixed with honey and soy sauce as a baste, omGEEE!). I dare you to name one thing it doesn’t taste delicious on!

– If the preceding comment wasnt enough to sell you on this stuff, take a look at THIS:

[pinit]

Thats homemade cream soda baby!!!!! See all those sexy vanilla bean flecks? I love those flecks. And there is even a boozy alternative (there is always a boozy alternative with me, incase you haven’t picked up on that yet, like HERE) by adding a little Spiced Rum or maybe some vodka or a splash of Tuaca or a bit of all three if you really wanna get going with the Elvis impersonations…but Im getting ahead of myself, I haven’t even given you the instructions yet and Im already talking like its Friday night.

Homemade Cream Soda

Vanilla Syrup

Soda Water

How I Do It: Stir three to four tbsp of vanilla syrup into glass with ice and soda water. BAM! You are done. Instant iced beverage! It just doesn’t get any easier, or any more delicious. And if you made your syrup with an unrefined sugar (organic cane sugar FTW!) then you have just made yourself a somewhat-healthy soda! Drink it like that or add some of the adult alternatives mentioned above (making it a less healthy soda, unless we are talking about mental health, in which case make mine a double) or even a bit of cream for an italian soda. Its-a so-a yumma-ya!

Alright I’ve officially used a bad Italian accent in a blog post, Im done. See you for the next chapter of our gourmet revolution!

xo,

P.S. – I love hearing from you guys, comments are like little e-presents and make me dance, which makes me burn calories, which makes me eat better, which makes me healthier! So comment for my health!

**If you are new to this movement or have forgotten its purpose, take a peeksy at the INTRO to catch up to speed**

Alright freedom fighters, the time has come to make our move! It goes without saying that this series is for the Artificial Vanilla Flavouring [shudder] users. They weaken our society with their faux-vanilla usage. Their callous contempt for true depth of flavour is shown every time they prepare a recipe with an inexpensive grocery substitute! And it falls to us, Citizens, to show them the error of their ways. How will we do this, you ask? Not with protests or riot gear or the burning of our undergarments, but instead, we will win them over one taste bud at a time. We will prepare sweets, not speeches! We will share our creations, then sit back and watch the flavour of truth light up their eyes.

The Vanilla Bean is not only willing, but eager, to have its innards scraped out for our culinary delight. We will impale, split it in half, drown and suffocate this unassuming ingredient in the name of good taste! Sure, it might get a bit messy. Yeah, we may gain a few pounds. But its all for the cause!!! Are you ready? Lets do this sucker!

Vanilla Extract Ratio

1 cup- 100 proof vodka or bourbon whiskey : 5 vanilla beans

How I do It: Cut your beans in half lengthwise, chuck them into a clean jar that has a tight fitting lid and pour in your booze. You want the beans to be completely downing in the liquid so hack them up as necessary to make sure they are totally submerged. Put the lid on it and give it a good shake. Store it in a cupboard, shaking again on a weekly basis while you wait. I’d say that 6 weeks is a good amount of time to let it brew before you start using it, but the longer you leave it the better.

To Note:

-I don’t bother sterilizing the jar cause it 100 proof alcohol going in there for gosh sakes, you could disinfect an O.R. with that stuff.

-Because this isn’t made with water, added caramel colouring or otherwise, it tends to be a lot more burley then the store bought extract. Start with using half the amount of extract the recipe calls for and adjust to your taste preferences.

-When the jar is half full, refill it with booze and let it brew again. You should be able to do this about 3-4 times before those beans will have given all they have to give.

-It is possible to get totally hammered on extract. Wikipedia even notes HERE that there have been two documented cases. Brew responsibly.

-You can make HUGE batches of this stuff. Just use the 1:5 ratio and multiply! When October rolls around start brewing a monster batch and then you will have lots to bottle and give away as Christmas gifts.

Vanilla Sugar Ratio

2 cups sugar : 1 bean

How I Do It: Measure your sugar into a container with a tight fitting lid. Slice your beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the innards. Stir the bean guts into the sugar and then bury the beans themselves. Put the lid on and let it marinade for a week if you are really impatient, two weeks if you have self control. Once again, the longer you leave it the better.

To Note:

-Use any sugar you like! My favourite is coconut sugar, I sprinkle it on my grapefruit, all vanilla infused and wonderful. Its like a tropical getaway for your tastebuds.

-Same as with the extract, you can constantly refill the container with sugar as you use it. The bean will infuse the sugar for months but if you begin to doubt its influence, pull it out of its sugary grave and drown it in the vodka with the others.

-Stir this into your morning cup of joe, eeeeermagerd!!! Or just lick your finger and dip it in, your dentist will love that.

-Make a mondo batch and package for gifts! Include a tag or whatever so people know what it is and don’t think you are giving them dirty sugar.

The Revolution has begun. Get to work and I’ll see you back here soon for the second instalment of the Vanilla Bean Series!

xo,

PS: Afraid you’ll be left behind? Subscribe to posts (top right corner) so you get all the info right to your inbox!

Congratulations to Sherrene!!! Send me a message using the contact form with your address and I will send out your beans asap!!!

And for all of you who didnt win, this isnt the end of the road. It is always a better option to order your vanilla beans online as they are atrociously expensive in the store. It was after some lengthy e-hunting that I initially contacted the Vanilla Food Company with my ideas for a giveaway and they fit all my criteria: they are Canadian, fair trade, inexpensive and offer flat rate shipping. Once I worked with them and later on ordered from them, I was super impressed by how quickly they shipped everything out! Not to mention, they gave me vanilla beans to give away to you, that’s pretty awesome in itself ;)

So do not despair, you might not have won this one but guess what? THIS SERIES HAS WAY MORE GIVEAWAYS!!!!!!! Oooh, you didn’t see that coming, did ya?!?! Click on the logo below to shop for your beans so you can be ready to follow along with the series. The Vanilla Food Company is offering readers of this blog free Canadian standard shipping on orders over $100 with the coupon code BCC2013 and that will be valid until the end of March.

A big thanks to all of you who entered via Facebook and blog and a big thanks to the Vanilla Food Company for giving us free things ;)

Be sure to subscribe to the blog in the upper right hand corner and I’ll see you back here sson!

There is a villain afoot, a villain widely available and seductively inexpensive, a villain so fiendish it poses as a common ingredient and fools the masses into spreading its plague. Who is this villain, you ask? Brace yourselves, for even typing the name causes me to shudder: Artificial Vanilla Flavouring [shudder]. My own detailed research* has shown that artificial vanilla flavouring is responsible for bank robberies, speeding tickets, hang nails, stepping in poo, traffic jams, volcanic eruptions and having to change the clocks for daylight savings. It has to be stopped, this copy-cat menace, and I am going to darn well do what I can to stop it!

Enter: the Vanilla Bean. This gorgeous little super-hero of nature is going to be the focus of eight delicious recipes that will have Artificial Vanilla Flavouring [shudder] shrieking in terror and you regretting every time you ever used the phrase “plain old vanilla”. This unlikely little stamen will knock out any desire you have to use the villainous faux-flavouring ever again, EVER! Once more, the world will be made a better place via this blog** and I can sleep at night knowing that I’ve again done my part.

I contacted the folks at the Vanilla Food Company with my possibly-accurate research notes and they were enthusiastic about supporting the cause as well, so much in fact, that they are giving away a package of ten Madagascar Vanilla Beans to a lucky winner via this blog!!

Entry is easy: No fussy trickery, no earning extra entries by pinning, subscribing, tweeting and etc (though those things are very much appreciated) just simply leave a comment on this post telling us how excited you are to see Vanilla Bean take down the despicable Artificial Vanilla Flavouring [shudder]! Winners will be drawn via random.org and announced this Friday at 6pm PST! If you want to try out your luck twice, I have a second giveaway on Facebook as well (instructions are HERE).

Well folks, I hope you are looking forward to a new series as much as I am. The demise of the artificial is imminent! DOWN WITH FAKERS! UP WITH FLAVOUR! See ya soon, citizens.

xo,

*Research was conducted on the back of a receipt while I was up late with a bad flu and “over medicated” on Hot Toddies. I am 13% sure my information is accurate though.

**Read the intro to the CARAMEL SERIES to see how I sacrificed for the sake of mankind the first time around.

]]>http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/vanilla-bean-a-recipe-series/feed/58The Quest for the Yummy Gummyhttp://www.buttercreamcouture.com/the-quest-for-the-yummy-gummy/
http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/the-quest-for-the-yummy-gummy/#commentsMon, 04 Feb 2013 20:52:37 +0000http://www.buttercreamcouture.com/?p=958*Im chuckling to myself over the title of this post. It just sounds so…dorky? Dumb? Dirty? Im not sure, but Im leaving it*

Whats says “I love you” more then chewy strawberry heart candies? Um, NOTHING, obviously! So thats why I decided to make them for this months issue of Framework Magazine!

This recipe is an original, literally invented out of a burning hatred for all the gummy candy recipes I tried from the internet. These are delicious, all others are crap. Bold statement I know, but totally true. You can leave me now and get the recipe by clicking HERE or you can read on to hear the whole tale and be further convinced of my gummy capabilities ;)

[pinit]

Troubleshooting a crap recipe (or in this case, many crap recipes): After an extensive Google search, I found that all the “homemade gummy candy” recipes were pretty much the same. They varied slightly on the ratios of liquid to gelatine and whatnot, but for the most part they all comprised of three ingredients: water, Jello and gelatine. I tried three recipes, I was grossed out three times. Now those of you who have been following the blog or my Facebook page for a while will know I have some serious hate for gimmicky treats that look cool but taste bad (ex. cake pops) and this is what I was getting with these candies. I had never played with gelatine before, I use it when I make homemade marshmallows but other then that I have no experience with how it works. So a personal challenge had been made and I was officially putting on my mad-scientist hat and going after what I wanted to taste.

The first thing to go was the Jello, I think it was the most offensive ingredient as the gummies tasted exactly like it, but in a bad way. I like Jello a lot, when its wiggly and cold and topped in whipped cream. But when its stiff and room temp and hard-chewy and way too strong in its flavour it just totally threw me off. I wanted soft gummies that actually tasted like fruit! So I ditched the Jello and the water and decided to sub frozen juice concentrate for my flavour and liquid. It was good, way better then the Jello but still too stiff in texture (too much gelatine used) and not flavourful enough.

When I was in the store getting more ingredients I spied frozen daiquiri concentrate, with real fruit flecks and tartness and lots more flavour!! Everyone loves a daiquiri, but could a daiquiri in a wobbly-solid form be just as loveable as its liquid counterpart? Hmm. I grabbed what I needed and headed over to Frances’. I was supposed to be there with a finished product for her to photograph but instead showed up late and flustered and ready to make a mess. She didn’t mind and its just one of the many reasons why I love her so.

The frozen daiquiri mix was totally the perfect way to go! The flavour was now delicious, so all I had left to figure out was the best liquid to gelatine ratio to get the chewiness right. We persevered, Frances and I. We suffered through sampling endless amounts of chewy strawberry goodness and getting a total sugar high, but we solved it in the end and came up with a very yummy candy indeed ;)

[pinit]

Skill level: A toddler could do it…if it didnt involve piping-hot liquid. So maybe we’ll go with a pre teen or a monkey or my husband.

Time commitment: From opening the packages of gelatin to removing the molds from the fridge – 15 mins.

To get the recipe for this candy you need to go HERE, Framework Magazines February issue. We are on page 17 but I say peruse the whole issue, it’s beautifully done, as always. I was featured there once before and you can get the link on my bio page.

These were all beautifully packaged with supplies from the Essential Packaging Store and the link to the clear boxes I used are HERE. You can get them in-store or online.

The heart molds were bought from my favourite local cake supply store, Scoop N Save, and the link for those are HERE. you can also get these in-store or online.

And of course, Frances Eden Creative provided the always outstanding photo skills, taste testing AND a fun printable you can use to package these guys up for your loved ones. You can get the printable through Framework Magazine or by clicking HERE.

So that is my rather long winded tale of how I came up with a rather simple candy. Play with the different daiquiri flavours and molds available to have treats for more then just Valentines Day. I hope you *heart* them as much as I do ;)